《The Secret Rose》第14章

sad　indeed　that　any　for　whom　christ　has　died　should　be　as　poor　as　you。
the　man　sat　over　the　fire；　and　olioll　took　away　his　now　dripping　cloak　and　laid　meat　and　bread　and　wine　before　him；　but　he　would　eat　only　of　the　bread；　and　he　put　away　the　wine；　asking　for　water。　when　his　beard　and　hair　had　begun　to　dry　a　little　and　his　limbs　had　ceased　to　shiver　with　the　cold；　he　spoke　again。
o　blessed　abbot；　have　pity　on　the　poor；　have　pity　on　a　beggar　who　has　trodden　the　bare　world　this　many　a　year；　and　give　me　some　labour　to　do；　the　hardest　there　is；　for　i　am　the　poorest　of　gods　poor。
then　the　brothers　discussed　together　what　work　they　could　put　him　to；　and　at　first　to　little　purpose；　for　there　was　no　labour　that　had　not　found　its　labourer　in　that　busy　munity；　but　at　last　one　remembered　that　brother　bald　fox；　whose　business　it　was　to　turn　the　great　quern　in　the　quern？house；　for　he　was　too　stupid　for　anything　else；　was　getting　old　for　so　heavy　a　labour；　and　so　the　beggar　was　put　to　the　quern　from　the　morrow。
the　cold　passed　away；　and　the　spring　grew　to　summer；　and　the　quern　was　never　idle；　nor　was　it　turned　with　grudging　labour；　for　when　any　passed　the　beggar　was　heard　singing　as　he　drove　the　handle　round。　the　last　gloom；　too；　had　passed　from　that　happy　munity；　for　olioll；　who　had　always　been　stupid　and　unteachable；　grew　clever；　and　this　was　the　more　miraculous　because　it　had　e　of　a　sudden。　one　day　he　had　been　even　duller　than　usual；　and　was　beaten　and　told　to　know　his　lesson　better　on　the　morrow　or　be　sent　into　a　lower　class　among　little　boys　who　would　make　a　joke　of　him。　he　had　gone　out　in　tears；　and　when　he　came　the　next day；　although　his　stupidity；　born　of　a　mind　that　would　listen　to　every　wandering　sound　and　brood　upon　every　wandering　light；　had　so　long　been　the　byword　of　the　school；　he　knew　his　lesson　so　well　that　he　passed　to　the　head　of　the　class；　and　from　that　day　was　the　best　of　scholars。　at　first　brother　dove　thought　this　was　an　answer　to　his　own　prayers　to　the　virgin；　and　took　it　for　a　great　proof　of　the　love　she　bore　him；　but　when　many　far　more　fervid　prayers　had　failed　to　add　a　single　wheatsheaf　to　the　harvest；　he　began　to　think　that　the　child　was　trafficking　with　bards；　or　druids；　or　witches；　and　resolved　to　follow　and　watch。　he　had　told　his　thought　to　the　abbot；　who　bid　him　e　to　him　the　moment　he　hit　the　truth；　and　the　next　day；　which　was　a　sunday；　he　stood　in　the　path　when　the　abbot　and　the　brothers　were　ing　from　vespers；　with　their　white　habits　upon　them；　and　took　the　abbot　by　the　habit　and　said；　the　beggar　is　of　the　greatest　of　saints　and　of　the　workers　of　miracle。　i　followed　olioll　but　now；　and　by　his　slow　steps　and　his　bent　head　i　saw　that　the　weariness　of　his　stupidity　was　over　him；　and　when　he　came　to　the　little　wood　by　the　quern？house　i　knew　by　the　path　broken　in　the　under？wood　and　by　the　footmarks　in　the　muddy　places　that　he　had　gone　that　way　many　times。　i　hid　behind　a　bush　where　the　path　doubled　upon　itself　at　a　sloping　place；　and　understood　by　the　tears　in　his　eyes　that　his　stupidity　was　too　old　and　his　wisdom　too　new　to　save　him　from　terror　of　the　rod。　when　he　was　in　the　quern？house　i　went　to　the　window　and　looked　in；　and　the　birds　came　down　and　perched　upon　my　head　and　my　shoulders；　for　they　are　not　timid　in　that　holy　place；　and　a　wolf　passed　by；　his　right　side　shaking　my　habit；　his　left　the　leaves　of　a　bush。　olioll　opened　his　book　and　turned　to　the　page　i　had　told　him　to　learn；　and　began　to　cry；　and　the　beggar　sat　beside　him　and　forted　him　until　he　fell　asleep。　when　his　sleep　was　of　the　deepest　the　beggar　knelt　down　and　prayed　aloud；　and　said；　〃o　thou　who　dwellest　beyond　the　stars；　show　forth　thy　power　as　at　the　beginning；　and　let　knowledge　sent　from　thee　awaken　in　his　mind；　wherein　is　nothing　from　the　world；　that　the　nine　orders　of　angels　may　glorify　thy　name〃；　and　then　a　light　broke　out　of　the　air　and　wrapped　aodh；　and　i　smelt　the　breath　of　roses。　i　stirred　a　little　in　my　wonder；　and　the　beggar　turned　and　saw　me；　and；　bending　low；　said；　〃o　brother　dove；　if　i　have　done　wrong；　forgive　me；　and　i　will　do　penance。　it　was　my　pity　moved　me〃；　but　i　was　afraid　and　i　ran　away；　and　did　not　stop　running　until　i　came　here。　then　all　the　brothers　began　talking　together；　one　saying　it　was　such　and　such　a　saint；　and　one　that　it　was　not　he　but　another；　and　one　that　it　was　none　of　these；　for　they　were　still　in　their　brotherhoods；　but　that　it　was　such　and　such　a　one；　and　the　talk　was　as　near　to　quarreling　as　might　be　in　that　gentle　munity；　for　each　would　claim　so　great　a　saint　for　his　native　province。　at　last　the　abbot　said；　he　is　none　that　you　have　named；　for　at　easter　i　had　greeting　from　all；　and　each　was　in　his　brotherhood；　but　he　is　aengus　the　lover　of　god；　and　the　first　of　those　who　have　gone　to　live　in　the　wild　places　and　among　the　wild　beasts。　ten　years　ago　he　felt　the　burden　of　many　labours　in　a　brotherhood　under　the　hill　of　patrick　and　went　into　the　forest　that　he　might　labour　only　with　song　to　the　lord；　but　the　fame　of　his　holiness　brought　many　thousands　to　his　cell；　so　that　a　little　pride　clung　to　a　soul　from　which　all　else　had　been　driven。　nine　years　ago　he　dressed　himself　in　rags；　and　from　that　day　none　has　seen　him；　unless；　indeed；　it　be　true　that　he　has　been　seen　living　among　the　wolves　on　the　mountains　and　eating　the　grass　of　the　fields。　let　us　go　to　him　and　bow　down　before　him；　for　at　last；　after　long　seeking；　he　has　found　the　nothing　that　is　god；　and　bid　him　lead　us　in　the　pathway　he　has　trodden。
they　passed　in　their　white　habits　along　the　beaten　path　in　the　wood；　the　acolytes　swinging　their　censers　before　them；　and　the　abbot；　with　his　crozier　studded　with　precious　stones；　in　the　midst　of　the　incense；　and　came　before　the　quern？house　and　knelt　down　and　began　to　pray；　awaiting　the　moment　when　the　child　would　wake；　and　the　saint　cease　from　his　watch　and　e　to　look　at　the　sun　going　down　into　the　unknown　darkness；　as　his　way　was。
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OF　COSTELLO　THE　PROUD；　OF　OONA　THE　DAUGHTER　OF　DER
小说
of　costello　the　proud；　of　oona　the　daughter　of　dermott；　and　of　the　bitter　tongue
costello　had　e　up　from　the　fields　and　lay　upon　the　ground　before　the　door　of　his　square　tower；　resting　his　head　upo